Ensuring quality of life in a changing climate Co-Adapted Braunschweig project presents 33 recommendations
Press release of the city of Braunschweig
In its second project report, the joint project Co-Adapted Braunschweig (COABS) of the City of Braunschweig and Technische Universität Braunschweig proposes measures for Braunschweig’s climate change adaptation strategy. The 33 key measures, developed jointly by the city’s citizens, administration and scientific community, show how the impacts of climate change can be reduced and the quality of life in Braunschweig can be improved.
Vision of the future of the city of Braunschweig. Image credits: © Manuel Recker
The step between the challenges identified in the climate risk analysis for Braunschweig and the concrete measures was supported by objectives and guiding principles with a clear vision of the desired goals. To this end, goals and visions were jointly developed and proposed for Braunschweig.
The measures developed are listed in the fields of action ‘People and Health’, ‘Biodiversity and Urban Nature’, ‘Water Quantity Management and Soil Water Balance’ as well as in a ‘Structural-Organisational’ and an overarching cluster. For example, trees or multifunctional infiltration troughs are so-called blue-green infrastructures that can cool overheated cities in summer through evaporation, absorb rainwater during heavy rainfall and release it again during dry periods. They can also promote biodiversity and create a better quality of life for residents. As such, they offer solutions to some of the challenges that cities will face in the near future.
Simple measures such as advice on how to take precautions in the event of heavy rainfall, tips on how to behave during heat waves, or the extensive maintenance of existing green spaces can also increase Braunschweig’s resilience to climate impacts. Vulnerable groups such as children, the sick and elderly, the socio-economically disadvantaged and those who work outdoors should be given special consideration. In the interests of environmentally and climate-friendly urban development, the central goal should be to first increase the resilience of these population groups.
Workshop process of the COABS project in the architecture pavilion of the TU Braunschweig. Picture credits: © Projekt Co-Adapted Braunschweig, Stadt Braunschweig
This also requires planning and construction measures, for example to avoid the urban heat island effect and to design urban spaces in a water sensitive way (sponge city principle). The city’s adaptive capacity could be enhanced by combining blue, green, communication and structural measures for climate adaptation. The project team suggests creating a strategic framework with clear objectives and appropriate institutional structures to coordinate the various tasks involved in coordinating and planning these measures.
“The COABS portfolio of measures already provides a solid foundation for Braunschweig’s future climate adaptation strategy,” says Holger Herlitschke, Head of the Environment Department. In order to develop a Braunschweig strategy for adapting to the consequences of climate change following the project, the nationwide Climate Adaptation Act still needs to be implemented and integrated into the Niedersachsen Climate Act.
Those interested in the practical testing of easy-to-implement measures in the neighbourhood can subscribe to the project newsletter on the COABS website (www.braunschweig.de/coabs) to receive information on the planned neighbourhood climate adaptation pilot projects until the end of the project in September 2025.
COABS topics room in the public participation portal ‘Mitreden’: